Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Ida’

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Ida’ characterized by its small sized blooms with pink ray florets and purple center and profilic branching; natural season flower date September 8-13; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Ida’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a decorative type flower, a natural season flower date around September. 8-13; blooming for a period of 5 weeks. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant ‘Ida’ is a seedling resulting from the open pollination among groups of chrysanthemum cultivars maintained under the control of the inventor for breeding purposes. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as one flowering plant by Mark Roland Boeder on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout Holland in September. 2001. The female parent is identified by the code 22.0724, not patented. The female parent has similar blooms to ‘Ida’ but differs in the color of the ray florets, which are more deeply pink colored than in ‘Ida’. The plant has been asexually reproduced by cuttings in greenhouses at Rijsenhout Holland. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom and foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classification Chrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under natural day length and temperature and planted in week 23 in 2002. The natural blooming date of this crop was September. 8-13 (week 37). The average height of the plants was 35 cms. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces small sized blooms with pink ray florets and a purple center blooming for a period of 5 weeks. From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Ida’ is ‘Medusa’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,610). When ‘Medusa’ and ‘Ida’ are being compared the following differences are noticed: The differences of ‘Medusa’ and ‘Ida’ are (1) Flower size. The flowers of ‘Medusa’ are larger than those of ‘Ida’ (2) Number of ray florets. The number of ray florets of ‘Medusa’ is smaller than that of ‘Ida’. (3) Color of center of immature flowers. The center of immature flowers of ‘Medusa’ light purple, while that of ‘Ida’ is deep purple.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Ida’ as a new and distinct variety. The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, edition 1995.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of cultivar ‘Ida’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.7 cm, height 0.8 cm Outside Color Yellow-green 146D Involucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm Involucral bracts among Not present disc-florets Involucral bracts color Green 138A Bloom Type Decorative Size Small Fully Expanded 2.5 cm Peduncle length 6 cm Peduncle color Green 138B Number or blooms per branch Approx. 8 blooms per branch Performance on the plant 5 weeks Seeds Produced in small quantities, ovate grey- brown 199A, 1½ mm in length. Fragrance Typical chrysanthemum, slightly Color Center of the flower Immature Red-purple 71A Mature Yellow-orange 13A. Color of upper surface of the Purple 75D ray-florets Color of the lower surface of Purple 77B the ray-florets Tonality from Distance A garden mum with pink flowers and a purple disc Color of upper side of ray Purple 75D florets after aging of the flowers Ray florets Texture Upper and under side smooth Number 180 Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of majority Straight Length of corolla tube Short, 0.3 cm Ray-floret margin Entire Ray-floret length 1.4 cm Ray-floret width 0.4 cm Ratio length/width Medium Shape of tip Rounded Disc florets Disc diameter 0.3 cm Distribution of disc florets Few, visible only in mature flowers Shape Tubular Color Yellow-green 145C Receptacle shape Domed flat Reproductive Organs Stamen Present in disc florets only Stamen color Yellow-green 144A Pollen Produced in small amount Pollen color Yellow 7A Styles Thick Style color Yellow 13A Style Length 4 mm Stigma color Yellow-green 144A Stigma Width 1 mm Ovaries Enclosed in calyx Plant Form A garden mum outdoor mounded and round Growth habit Spreading Growth rate High Height 35 cm Width 50 cm Stem Color Yellow-green 147C with streaks of greyed-purple 186B Stem Strength Strong Stem Brittleness Not brittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Present Internode length 1 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 14 cm Lateral branch color Yellow-green 147C Lateral branch, attachment Medium strength Branching (average number of Good with 7 breaks after pinching lateral branches) Natural season blooming date September 8-13 Foliage Leaf color Upper side Green 138A Under side Yellow-green 148C Color midvein Upper side Yellow-green 147D Under side Yellow-green 148D Size Small; length 3.5 cm, width 2.5 cm Quantity (number per lateral 16 branch) Shape Cordiform Texture upper side Glabrous Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Serrated Shape of Base of Sinus Rounded Between Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Between Diverging Lateral Lobes Shape of Base Truncate Apex Mucronate Petiole length 1 cm Petiole color Yellow-green 147D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison variety ‘Ida’ ‘Medusa’ Flower size 2.5 cm 4.5 cm Number of ray florets 180 130 Color center of immature flower Red-purple 71A Red-purple 64D 

1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant as described and illustrated. 